God’s Oracle Devotionals

Date: Monday, 5^th August, 2024

Text: Matthew 13:1-23

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Many are called but few are chosen. Why? Few are chosen because only those few responded to the call positively and remain obedient.

According to today’s text, when God gives a call to salvation, there are four categories of reactions that are possible from the called.

The first category is the one who does not understand and grasp the message. The word of God says the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing- 1 Corinthians 1:18a; it doesn’t just make sense, so the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.

The second category is the one who hears the word and immediately welcomes it with joy; yet he has no substantial root in himself, but is only temporary because the message has not sunk deep in him; and when pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles and falls away abandoning the One who is the source of salvation.

A third category is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the superficial pleasures, delight and deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it produces no result or fruit.

Despite all these seeming failures of the word that has been preached, God cannot be stranded. There is still a remnant that will surely respond positively and produce the desired result. This is the fourth category- the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it.

He remains faithful and obedient to the word and eventually multiplies the seed by converting others to righteousness through soul winning, thereby yielding some a hundred times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much and some thirty.

To where do you belong?

Reflective Nugget: What is your attitude to God’s word?

Date: Sunday, 4^th August, 2024

Text: Mark 4:35-41

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Doubt and fear are twin forces that the devil uses to challenge your authority and control over situations and circumstances. When you allow strange thoughts to creep into your mind and take root there, they begin to question the authority of God’s word.

The disciples in today’s text were so fearful and doubtful that, even though Christ was in their boat. They couldn’t rebuke the storm that confronted them. Thank God that the Prince of Peace took control-Mark 4:35-41.

When the devil comes to shake or move you, he wants you to doubt the authority God gave you and once you do, fear takes over.

However, when you are conscious of God’s presence in your boat, your faith will defeat doubt and fear. The word of God says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.” Psalm 46:1-3

In verse 10, God says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”

May the name of the Lord be exalted over your storms in Jesus name.

Prayer Nugget: In Jesus name, I rebuke every spirit of doubt and fear in my life.

Date: Saturday, 3^rd August, 2024

Text: Joshua 10: 12-14

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

In the heat of the battle against five Amorite kings, Joshua gave an uncommon spiritual instruction to the Sun and the Moon and they obeyed. The word of God said, “Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the people had revenge upon their enemies.” Joshua 10: 12-13

The sun stood still and the moon did not move until the nation had conquered its enemies. The sun stood still in the middle of the sky and did not go down for a whole day. Never before, and never since, has there been a day like it, when the Lord obeyed a human being. The Lord fought on Israel’s side!

There is nothing too difficult for the Lord.

Several years ago, while I was posted to the Northern part of Nigeria to do the compulsory National Youth Service, we were in an evening prayer service and the pastor asked us to pray to God to send rain because the weather was so hot in those days; as the rain had not fallen for quite a long while.

We prayed passionately and after our corporate prayer we observed that the clouds started to gather and the weather began to change; it was not long after we all departed to our homes that the rain began pouring down and everybody was refreshed.

Recently, we had a 3-Day annual anniversary program in our church during which time rain fell heavily almost everyday and it became quite disturbing.  But during the preparatory fasting and prayers we cried to God to give us a fair weather during those days. God honoured our request as the heavy daily outpouring ceased temporarily until our anniversary program ended before it continued.

If you can rouse your faith and use the weapons identified in yesterday’s episode, you will be in control of your situations and circumstances- only make sure you live your life according to God’s word and will.

Reflective Nugget: It is up to you to program your situations and circumstances the way you desire; only make sure you do so within the ambit of God’s word and will.

Date: Friday, 2^nd August, 2024

Text: Genesis 1:1-3

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

A computer program is a sequence or set of instructions in a programming language for a computer to execute. Similarly, you can program your life daily issuing sets of divine instructions, arranging it according to God’s word and plan. In order to achieve this you need three basic weapons- one two spiritual and one physical.

The physical weapon is your tongue. The power of life and death are in the tongue- Proverbs 18:21.

The spiritual weapons are faith and God’s word.

By faith you call forth those things you want, by your confession you create things that be not as though they are- Romans 4:17. Give specific instructions to your situation and program your life to take the shape you desire. In Genesis 1, God said, “Let there be light” and there was light- Genesis 1:3. If you are a believer in Christ, you possess the Holy Spirit and carry the same creative authority.

You need to use your words to control your world. When you intentionally speak God’s word into your situation, you set his power in motion. Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63b.

The forces of God, the holy angels get to work, aligning situations and circumstances in your favour. They make sure that line fall in pleasant places for you.

We live in a power-controlled world. There is serious battle for control of the earth and its inhabitants by seen and unseen forces. Take note that they are called “forces”. They are called forces because they wield influences and struggle in an attempt to gain control of your life.

The violent must take it by force. Take control of your life by engaging the potent word of God. There is no vacuum in nature; if you fail to do so, other forces will take charge. May that not be your portion in Jesus name.

Action Nugget: Program your life day daily with the power of confession and the authority of God’s word.

Date: Thursday, 1^st August, 2024

Text: Isaiah 40:28-31

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Happy New Month friends! Welcome to the eight month of the year 2024. May this new month come with the spirit of renewal from above in Jesus name.

The Holy Spirit through prophet Isaiah asks, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31

As you place your trust in the Lord to run the race and complete the remaining five months of this year, may you find unusual strength in Jesus name. Let us pray!

Prayer Nuggets

1. Father, thank you for the grace to see the eighth month of this year.
2. Please, show me mercy and forgive me in any area I have come short of your glory in Jesus name.
3. Father, please, renew my strength this season in Jesus name.
4. In my life let there be showers of blessings and a season of refreshing from the presence of the Lord in Jesus name.
5. Let God arise on my behalf and let his enemies be scattered in Jesus name.
6. I redeem all the days in this new month from every evil in Jesus name.
7. Throughout this month and for the rest of my life, goodness and mercy shall follow me in Jesus name.
8. Add your own special prayer requests.

Date: Tuesday, 30^th July, 2024

Text: Luke 17:11-19

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Sometimes we become so used to certain interventions of God that we take them for granted. We become so used to God’s house that we approach it casually and without the necessary reverence.

As Jesus went along, as usual, the people were crowding him from every side and touching him casually but a woman gave him a different touch. This woman had suffered from severe bleeding for twelve years; she had spent all she had on doctors, but no one had been able to cure her. She came up in the crowd behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once- Luke8:42-45. She gave Jesus a touch of faith and she drew power out of Him.

Some wonder why they remain the same after a church service- one of the reasons could be that you did not enter the service with faith and expectation- you entered casually and ended up having no personal encounter.

Familiarity, they say breeds contempt. Jesus could not do any miracle in his home town, except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them; because his people had lost respect for his anointing- Mark 6:4-13.

Many folks become so used to calling God’s name that they often call his name in vain even when cracking jokes. Therefore, the name of Christ has lost his power in the mouth of such people even when they pray.

A great number of Christians these days have become so used to testimonies that when people share their testimonies they are no longer moved to praise God.

 In today’s text, ten lepers cried to Jesus for mercy and they were cleansed. When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself to the ground at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan .Jesus spoke up, “There were ten who were healed; where are the other nine? Why is this foreigner the only one who came back to give thanks to God?” Luke 17: 11-19

The nine other lepers felt entitled to those miracles and they took Jesus’ miracle for granted. Unknowing to them they had become hardened in their hearts and had lost the sensitivity of gratitude.

Beware of hardness of the heart which could creep in gradually.

Prayer Nugget: Father, by your Spirit, help my heart to be soft and remain so in Jesus name.

Date: Sunday, 28^th July, 2024

Text: Daniel 3:16-18

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

A friend of mine, back in the university undergraduate days, was very fervent and dutiful in God’s work. He was a pleasant and cool person that always wore a smile on his face. Then tragedy struck. His beloved younger brother was very sick to the point of death. He prayed and prayed, poured out his heart to God believing firmly that the sickness would go and his brother would be back on his feet. But unfortunately, the unexpected happened and his sick brother died!

Many friends and brethren from the church came to console him but he would not be consoled. The devil really used this occasion to dampen his faith. He began to backslide in his heart gradually. He would often say, “Where was God when my beloved brother was sick to the point of death? Didn’t I pray, pleading with God to spare his life?”

His faith was really shattered; he threw all spiritual cautions into the winds and he went full blown into a sinful lifestyle.

It is possible that someone that once had a soft heart loses its softness. The devil throws arrows of disappointments, failure, discouragement etc against God’s faithful children with the intention of making them lose their softness. Delay in answered prayers can lead to frustration and if care is not taken, could lead to loss of faith and eventual hardness of heart.

Please, understand that God is Sovereign; he does as he pleases and he knows the best. The word of God says, “The righteous perishes, and no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, while no one considers, that the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace; they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.” Isaiah 57:1-2

In order to maintain the softness of your heart, let your faith in God be unconditional and resolute. As you relate with the Most High, love Him wholeheartedly.

Be like the Hebrew boys when their lives were threatened by King Nebuchadnezzar, the word of God says, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18

Prophetic Nugget: Receive grace to remain soft-hearted in Jesus name.

Date: Saturday, 27^th July, 2024

Text: Ezekiel 36: 24-28

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Candle is solid at room temperature. But when exposed to heat it becomes soft and eventually melts into a liquid. Similarly, metal is solid naturally and cannot be easily bent. When heated to more than 930^OC, it is easily bent and formed into any shape by the blacksmith.

In the same vein, fire is equally very important in softening hardened hearts. The word of God is fire. In Jeremiah 23:29, the Lord told the prophet, saying, “Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?”

After the resurrection of Christ, the Lord appeared to the disciples and taught the word of God and later vanished from their sight. They commented on this as follows, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” Luke 24:32

The more exposed we are to the word of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit the more soften, willing, yielded and obedient we become. The opposite is also true- the less exposed we are to God’s word, the more hardened, unwilling, stubborn and disobedient we become.

The Lord has promised to do spiritual heart surgery for sinners whose hearts are damaged beyond repairs. In today’s text, he promised saying “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Ezekiel 36:25-27

By all means make sure you do away with any form of hardened heart.

Prayer Nugget: Jehovah God let your word always be like fire that softens and melts my heart in Jesus name.

Date: Friday, 26^th July, 2024

Text: Matthew 19:1-9

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

 Marriage is not meant to be endured but to be enjoyed. Your spouse is not supposed to be a cross you carry, but a life companion whose presence completes you and not compete with you. The marital union is designed to be Heaven on Earth; your home should be an abode of comfort and a shelter from the heat of life.

Your spouse should be your best friend, your confidant, prayer partner; a source of succour in the times of trouble; a source of encouragement and strength. Anything short of that is not God’s will.

One of the reasons why so many find marriage to be the opposite of the above description is unforgiveness occasioned by hardness of heart.

In today’s text, concerning divorce, some Israelites asked Christ,“Why then did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.” Matthew 19:7-8

As long as we breathe, we are not immune to offenses. A soul that trembles at the word of God, doing His will promptly and completely has a soft heart. Such a person finds it easy to let go and forgive his offenders.

The Holy Spirit through Apostle Peter wrote, “Likewise, ye husbands dwell with them according to knowledge (with proper understanding that they are more delicate than you; with great gentleness and tact, and with an intelligent regard for the marriage relationship), giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” 1 Peter 3:7

The word of God also says, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”- Hebrew 12:14. Do you desire that your prayers are answered quickly? Do you want to make Heaven at last? Then a soft and forgiving heart is mandatory.

Prayer Nugget: Lord, please, give me the grace to readily pardon others when they offend me.

Date: Thursday, 25^th July, 2024

Text: 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

One of other characteristics of a hardened heart is self-will and self-righteousness. His way seems right in his eyes. He lives his life based on some unwritten philosophies which are satanically inspired.

For example, beliefs like, “Somebody must go down for someone else to rise, therefore, I can do everything to pull my neighbour or colleague down for me to rise.” (Which part of the word of God says that?).

“The big fish must feed on the small fish in order to thrive in the river; therefore, it is okay to bully others.” (Are you a fish?)

“Something must kill someone therefore, it doesn’t matter whether I take health precautions or not.” “This is what is trending in the world now, so I don’t care what anybody says.”(The fact that it is popular before men does not make it acceptable before God, the judge of the whole Earth).

“I am not the first to have extra or premarital affairs; I am only being human, so what is the big deal?” (It is a serious matter before God; therefore, crucify the flesh and its desires.)

“Even concerning the so called Pastors; do you know what they do in secret?” (Why not leave God to handle that? He alone knows what everybody does in the secret)

“You, Mr Preacher, have you been to Heaven before? How are you so sure there is Heaven or Hell?” (The fact that you have never been to America before does not mean the nation does not exist; Jesus Christ has been to Heaven before and he is the Truth who preached a lot on the subject of Heaven and Hell)

All the above evil ideas and many more come from the devil. They cause doubts in the heart of people and harden them, making them unconcerned about doing God’s will.

The word of God says, “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

In order to prevent hardness of heart, you must not allow the seeds of doubt to take a stronghold in your heart, rather uproot them and cast out every ungodly thoughts and everything that is trying to compete with and nullify the word of God in your life. Make every thought bow to the authority of God’s word.

Let the word of God take root in your heart and let it grow mightily and prevail over other contending ideas from the devil. You are an overcomer in Jesus name.

Prayer Nugget: I pull down every stronghold of the devil competing with God’s word in my heart in Jesus name.